The fastest growing consulting firms in the UK
The Sunday Times has recognised the 100 fastest growing business in the UK. Among them, a cohort of 13 consultancies are bucking trends from the wider sector, enjoying rapid expansion over the past year.
For 24 years, The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 series celebrated the country’s leading entrepreneurs. In 2024, a new ranking carried on that legacy – with the Sunday Times 100 fastest-growing companies in Britain list being compiled by a network of reporters from the Times group of newspapers, to rank private businesses based on their sales growth over a specified period.
Returning for its second edition, the list has once again showcased the most dynamic and rapidly expanding business across the UK economy. And once again, the list is also frequented by up and coming consulting firms, which have achieved significant sales growth rates over the last three years, driven by innovation, market demand and effective business strategies.
This year, 13 firms have made the grade. Leading that pack is Pace – a management consultancy supporting companies and governments to upgrade their IT – which ranked in the top 10 fastest growing businesses in the country, with three-year growth of over 197%. A statement on the company’s website said its ranking was “a huge achievement, and it reflects a growing appetite for a different kind of consulting”. The firm argued the news confirmed “consulting doesn’t have to mean inflated hours, vague outputs, and glossy presentations with little follow-through”.
de Novo Solutions also joined the top 10 of all firms. The technology consultancy obtained growth of over 186%, something which led co-founder Mark Sweeny to comment, “We have built something special here – a company that hasn’t just grown fast, but has grown sustainably, with our people and our clients genuinely at the heart of everything we do.” Adding that he could “honestly could not be prouder of the team”, Sweeny noted it was “an incredible achievement” to be included in this league table just four years after launch.
The full profiles of the Sunday Times’ fastest growing consulting firms for 2025 are:
Pace
Growth: 197.72%
A government department grappling with out-of-date and inaccurate data turned to this consultancy to upgrade its IT systems. Pace says the project slashed £5 million a year from the department’s IT bill. The consultancy, which supports public and private sector customers, was started by Tim Bretman, 54, a former Royal Marine and serial entrepreneur, during the pandemic in 2020. Sales hit £8.6 million in the year to March 2024. A year later, Luke Grose, 39, was promoted to chief executive officer.
de Novo Solutions
Growth: 186.80%
Just two years after the sale of their previous business, Certus Solutions, to Accenture in 2018, business partners Mark Sweeny, 56, and Tim Warner, 67, returned to the world of technology consulting with this Newport-based venture. A specialist in using Oracle Cloud and ServiceNow software, de Novo has digitised finance, HR and payroll operations for the Ministry of Justice, ITV and Ofgem. The company, which opened a new office in India in March, posted sales of £9.8 million in the year to May 2025.
Ethos Farm
Growth: 171.59%
A customer experience consultancy which has benefitted clients including Heathrow, Stansted and New York’s LaGuardia airports. Founded in 2016 by the chief executive Sally Alington, 46, it offers consultancy and training to organisations with frontline staffing, in particular airports, airlines, retailers and cruise operators. Based next to Hampton Court Palace, it also has offices in New York and Singapore, and its sales hit £30.4 million last year. It features for a third year in a row.
Swift Strategies
Growth: 145.74%
The technology consultancy helped the government to get nearly two million laptops to disadvantaged children when schools closed during the 2020 Covid pandemic so they could continue learning at home. The business was set up by Nathan Swift, 45, a former professional singer and serial entrepreneur, in 2008 to help public and private sector organisations overcome digital, data and tech problems. Swift Strategies, which has grown by word of mouth, reached sales of £11.7 million last year.
Cross 8
Growth: 134.91%
The NHS, National Grid and Royal Bank of Scotland are among customers of this management consultancy based near Henley-in-Arden in Warwickshire. The company focuses on helping organisations in financial services, infrastructure and utilities to improve how they operate, make better use of technology and save money. Its co-founders, Tobias Robinson, 47, and Wendy Robinson, 51, started the firm in 2013. Last year sales reached £7.7 million, on a staff of only 15 people.
Apprentify
Growth: 117.20%
Since 2018 Apprentify has helped JD Sports, the BBC, B&Q and the like recruit and train apprentices for roles in digital, sales and tech. The Cheshire company secured £5 million from the investment fund BGF in 2022 for a minority stake, which has helped to fuel acquisitions, most recently snapping up the training and coaching firm Ioda in 2024. Apprentify now trains about 10,000 people annually, with sales last year of £14 million. The group chief executive Jonathan Fitchew, 63, founded the business, and has further acquisitions in the pipeline.
Enfuse Group
Growth: 89.89%
As they grow and expand, companies can become overwhelmed with red tape, legacy IT systems and inefficient ways of working. Enfuse Group offers consultancy and advisory services to help soothe these corporate growing pains. The company is the brainchild of the co-founders Graeme Curwen, 47, and Harry Vazanias, 48, who led it to sales of £8.3 million last year. High-profile clients have included Starbucks, Sainsbury’s and Virgin Atlantic. This week they sold a “significant” stake for an undisclosed sum to the investor Agathos Management.
Talentia Group
Growth: 76.87%
This recruitment business has carved out a niche supplying lecturers, teachers and support staff to colleges, schools, universities and training providers through its Dovetail & Slate agency. It also provides staff to teach inmates in prisons across the UK. Meanwhile, its Innotech Partners business focuses on filling roles in green technology and engineering. Guy Walker, 32, and Elliott Redmond, 31, started Talentia in Bristol in 2019, and have since opened offices in Manchester, Cardiff and Leeds, growing sales to £38.1 million in the year to May 2024.
Gravity9
Growth: 75.69%
From supporting a defence organisation to measure public opinion on Nato operations to helping a retailer to track its beauty concierge consultations and sales, Gravity9 helps diverse organisations to modernise their IT systems. Where necessary, it provides them with its own bespoke software. Noel Ady, 48, founded the company in 2017 and was joined by Andy Ross, also 48, two years later. Turnover reached £10.7 million last year when Gravity9 opened an office in Canada, its tenth overseas site.
Zenzero
Growth: 72.91%
Recent cyberattacks on firms including Marks & Spencer and Harrods are a harsh reminder to companies of the need to bolster their IT security – and Zenzero is among the specialist outfits that can help them. As well as cybersecurity, the Coventry business provides IT support and software development. Started by Anne and Andy Tasker in 2004, it is now led by the chief executive Michael Bateman, 36, who oversaw the sale of a majority stake to the investor Macquarie in 2023. A string of acquisitions helped Zenzero to sales of £84 million in the year to March 2025.
Techary
Growth: 71.29%
Fresh from earning an A* in his IT A-level exams in 2012, Tom Stephens, 30, set about putting his knowledge into action by starting his own technology venture. He launched a website design firm before pivoting to a consultancy that helps companies to procure and put in place the right technology. Now employing nearly 100 people and bringing in 2024 sales of £23 million, Techary has completed projects in more than 20 countries. It has offices in London, New Jersey and Amsterdam.
Penta Consulting
Growth: 67.15%
When tech companies need hard-to-find skilled and technical staff in a hurry, they might turn to Penta Consulting. Since Paul Clark, 60, and four co-founders started the business in Surrey in 1998, Penta has grown a client roster to include IBM, Ericsson and Hewlett Packard. In the year to March, it generated sales of £153.2 million from its 12 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Clark is now executive chairman, while Aminash Patel, 44, is chief executive.
JMAN Group
Growth: 63.68%
Split between the UK, India and the US, this company’s team of consultants, data scientists and engineers helps businesses improve their performance through strategy, data analytics and technology. Co-founded in 2010 by Michael Leovalan, 55, and the chief executive, Anush Newman, 41, it specialises in working with private equity firms and their portfolio companies. An investment of an undisclosed sum from the private equity firm Baird Capital in 2023 helped the business to grow sales to £21.1 million last year. The company features for a third year in a row.
